Karaoke night. S, the same guy that I covered the firms Xmas bash with, is my colleague tonight. I like this guy. Totally no nonsense. Halfway through the night the girl that's running the karaoke comes over and tells us there is a bloke bothering people that are singing.S is off and over there like a flash and I'm left watching from the door. S spoke to the guy and then just stood over there for a while. After about 10 minutes the guy that had apparently been shouting abuse at the singers, (I couldn't really blame him- most were terrible) came out followed by S. The manager came out and told us not to let him back in. I somehow don't think S was going to anyway. The guy hangs around out front for a while, leaning in the window occasionally to get people to buy him a drink, so I shut the window and told him to go home and that is what he did.Everything else went smoothly.

Saturday was live band night. 4 of them!!D is my colleague for the night and he has been on the door less time than me, but he seemed decent enough.As people are filing in and paying there money to the manager, who is on the door with us to start with, but only for the coin, a chap comes up that has been barred from the pub. The manager recognises him and tells him that he's not coming in and they start to argue. Well actually, and fair play to the manager here, the guy starts to argue and the manager responded every time with, "No, you're barred!"Eventually the manager leans over to me and says, "Get rid of him, willya?"So I move toward the fellow and he starts to back out of the door. By this time, the barred chaps brother had arrived and was also telling him he should just go. Chappie eventually decides that he's going to talk to the manager one last time. The response was the same and chappies bro starts to move him back out the door at which point he looks at me and says, "You're lucky I'm in a good mood and I don't want to hurt you!"I couldn't help smiling at that comment and he started to bang on about me not taking him seriously and all that cr4p.He still left though.After that it was all pretty smooth, except to say that a little later the chappies brother came up to me and said about his sibling..."You'd better watch it though, he is mental!"

Good film. The revenge attack is a genuine threat. i have had 1 friend have a machete stuck in the back of his head, another been knifed in the neck, and on one particularly colourful new years eve, someone return after being kicked out, and drive their car at the two guys on the door. They dived out the way and the car drove through the doors and got wedged half in the foyer of the club- all that in just a small welsh town.i have never experienced such extreme repurcussions directly, though 5 years after moving from my home town, i visited and went out on a friday night to catch up with old friends, and got punched in the face out of the blue by someone who I had apparently kicked out of a pub some 7 years earlier I didn't recognise him, so it was quite flattering I had made a lasting impression On the other hand, If he had had a knife, I would now be dead. Its still a good job though, if you get into it with your eyes open.

I love this the short. Geoff is apparently in the process of making a full length feature based on his book "Watch my Back" and if this is anything to go by it'll be a cracker.

Everything about this film is right. The banter between the guys, the stand off out the front, the lovely peaceful quiet pint at the end of the shift (there is something magical about the calm quiet of a club once the chaos of the thumping music and flashing lights has gone) and then the walk to the car afterwards. Geoff just protrays this so brilliantly.

He is so right about the end of the shift being the most dangerous. We usually walk to the cars together (safety in numbers). I've gotta to say that I take a sort of perverse enjoyment out of the walk to the car. I slip into a state of absolute awareness in which I could tell you everything that is happening around me. Also anything that happens then is personal, you're no longer a Doormen you're a civvie and the rules of the game change. Anything they do to you is pre-meditated and means you really can use reasonable force. After being on a leash all night the walk to the car really is like being allowed to run free in the park. Its probably very hard to understand unless you've done it.

Also every time you make it home is like a little victory, especially if someone has told you they're coming back to "'Ave ya!". Going through your front door, sitting down with a beer or a cuppa winding down in front of the Xbox or a DVD with your ears still ringing from the music is like saying "F*ck you mug...I survived!". Its that sort of challange that can become quite addictive.

I've had a few situations after work, the most serious involved about 8 or so guys armed with bottles, sticks and a machette. All three of us managed to get our hands on something to use and got through it by clearly showing the group that we were more willing to use our tools than they were theirs. That was a very scary situation.

The job is full of experiences that most people never have. Some very positive and some very negative. The whole package is very addictive at times and soul destroying at others.

Times are changing though and the way the newer generation of Doormen are being told to do the job is far too PC for me...hence why I'm winding down my career now. But I wouldn't have changed the experience for the world.

Quote:every time you make it home is like a little victory, especially if someone has told you they're coming back to "'Ave ya!". Going through your front door, sitting down with a beer or a cuppa winding down in front of the Xbox or a DVD with your ears still ringing from the music is like saying "F*ck you mug...I survived!". Its that sort of challange that can become quite addictive.

I enjoyed the 24/7 'us and them' mentality that occurs in the job. Back at home when i was working, we only socialised in the pub we worked at. The other pubs were full of people were not welcome there, and had got that message direct from us. Sort of made for an 'Assault on Precinct 13' atmosphere at times . The other thing is the real friendship involved in the job. That is what comes through in the short movie the most. These are people who will literaly stand shoulder to shoulder with you when your life is on the line. You cant measure the value of trust like that.I have never been good at keeping contact with people, I do not feel the need for regular exchange of pleasantries to maintain a friendship- If I am your friend, then I am your friend for life, and I dont care how long its been since you phoned or stopped by; so when after 5 years of no contact, I got my a$$ in gear to contact an old door colleague to ask him to my wedding, his first words on the phone were 'Hey Dave, whats the problem- how can I help?'He assumed I was in trouble, and was ready to drop everything cold after 5 years to come and get my back.I think only the military could create similar bonds

Quote:Times are changing though and the way the newer generation of Doormen are being told to do the job is far too PC for me...hence why I'm winding down my career now. But I wouldn't have changed the experience for the world.

Amen to the first sentiment, and as for winding down your career, if it feels the right time to do so, then it is. i look back with good memories of it, i would hate to have stayed too long, and lived to see it as a negative experience.

Typical weekend without too much happening. Although on the Saturday there was a point in the evening, while I was talking to someone about my refusing them entry, when raised voices were heard in one of the bars.My colleague 'D' went to see what all the fuss was about. After I finished with the guy at the front door I went to find D. I found him with his arm around one guy restraining him and keeping another guy at bay with his other hand. A friend of the second guy convinced his mate to leave and that was that.

9th 10th Feb.

Friday was quiet despite the karaoke, but I did get the chance to come to the aid of a couple of British Transport Police that were chasing a gang of hoodies on Saturday. About 15 or so youths ran out of the station and past the pub. I spotted them and opened the door to have a better look at what was happening. As I did so a lad swerved to avoid the opening door and slipped over. As he was scrambling to his feet I saw the Police officers coming towards the pub and realised they were after this lad. Just as he got to his feet I grabbed him and locked him up and passed him over to the officers. Another one in the bank with the old bill.